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DETAILS/ SPAK strikes one of the most powerful criminal organizations in international cocaine trafficking

2025-08-08 17:11:49Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
DETAILS/ SPAK strikes one of the most powerful criminal organizations in
Illustrative photo

The Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (Special Prosecution Office) has conducted investigations against a high-level criminal organization involved in cocaine trafficking and money laundering. The investigations, which include intensive cooperation with EUROPOL and authorities from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy, were based on the analysis of encrypted communication data of the SkyECC platform.

These investigations have uncovered multi-ton shipments of cocaine from Latin America to major EU ports, including Hamburg, Antwerp, etc.

This criminal organization operated on a global scale, collaborating with other criminal groups to facilitate transport to European ports and investing large profits in properties and businesses in Albania and abroad.

In the context of this criminal organization, the Special Prosecution Office has conducted investigations within the framework of criminal proceedings no. 187/2023 for the criminal offenses of "Trafficking in narcotics", "Laundering of proceeds of crime", "Criminal organization" and "Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group" provided for by articles 283/a, 287, 333/1 and 2 and 334/1 of the Criminal Code.

The Special Prosecution Office has filed a request for the imposition of personal security measures against 16 (sixteen) Albanian citizens, a request which was approved by the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime (Special Court) with decision no. 82, act dated 06.08.2025, imposing the measure of "arrest in prison", based on Article 238 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for 14 (fourteen) persons and for 2 (two) others it has imposed the security measure of obligation to report to the judicial police.

The General Directorate of the State Police in cooperation with the National Bureau of Investigation have executed security measures for 9 suspects (including one of the leaders), of whom 7 with the measure of "prison arrest" and 2 with the measure of "compulsory appearance", while one of the suspects is currently arrested in an EU country (leader of the organization). Work is underway to execute security measures for 6 other people.

The measure of “prison arrest” in Albania:

E.C.

A.C.

PL

RM

G.C.

MK

El.C

The "compulsory appearance" measure in Albania:

DP

K.Gj

Arrested in an EU country:

FC

In the interests of the investigation, the Special Prosecution Office has requested and received approval from the Special Court to conduct searches of homes, vehicles and persons, which are ongoing.

Seizures of quantities of cocaine:

During international investigations, two large cocaine shipments were identified and seized, transported from South America to Europe, and more specifically:

September 2020 – Paraguay → Belgium (Antwerp)

The group led by E.Ç. and FG, in collaboration with a Brazilian citizen, organized the trafficking of 11.6 tons of cocaine, hidden in soap boxes and metal paint cans with the “Fox” logo. The shipment departed from the port of Villeta (Paraguay) and arrived in Antwerp on 04.11.2020.

Subsequently, during police operations in Rotterdam, 600 kg of cocaine and 2 million euros were seized, and Albanian citizens MD and NB were arrested.

December 2020 – February 2021 – Paraguay → Germany (Hamburg)

E.Ç. and FG organized and financed the trafficking of 16.4 tons of cocaine, hidden in metal cans with construction paint/cough and stamped with logos (“red lightning eyes”, “Puma”, “infinity sign”), with a market value of 1.5 billion to 3.5 billion euros. The cargo, distributed in several containers, arrived in Hamburg on 12.02.2021 and was seized by German customs authorities. (Cocaine 'worth billions' seized in record Germany and Belgium haul).

Typology of criminal organization

Investigations conducted in cooperation with partner law enforcement authorities and analysis of intercepted communications in the SkyECC application have revealed a criminal structure of international proportions, led by citizens E.Ç. and FG, which fully controlled the cocaine trafficking chain – from production, storage and processing in Paraguayan laboratories, international transport and distribution to European markets, to the laundering and circulation of the proceeds.

Large shipments of cocaine were obtained directly from the producers by the head of the organization E. Ç. (who together with his brother A. Ç. were located in Paraguay), stored and prepared for transport to Paraguay. The narcotic substance was sophisticatedly hidden in legal cargo – soap boxes, paint cans and construction collosums – disguised with trademarks such as “Fox” or with special distinguishing marks such as “Puma” or “lightning eyes”. These cargoes were transported in sea containers from South American ports to major European ports, mainly Antwerp (Belgium) and Hamburg (Germany), where they were then distributed through internal drug market networks in the EU.

Money circulation and management

The investigation has shown that this group had set up an extremely sophisticated financial mechanism to circulate and hide the proceeds of criminal activity. One of the main methods was the physical transport of cash from EU countries to Albania, using mainly Albanian bus drivers for international passenger transport. This method had several advantages for the group:

-Avoiding bank tracing and the legal obligation to declare the source of funds;

-Avoiding official customs controls, using short routes and less monitored border points;

-Siguria përmes rrjetit të besuar të shoferëve, numri i të cilëve ishte i kufizuar dhe i përzgjedhur në bazë të një marrëdhënieje të ndërtuar mbi besimin reciprok.

-Shoferët, në këmbim të shërbimit dhe rrezikut të marrë përsipër, përfitonin rreth 2% tarifë mbi shumën e transportuar. Këto pagesa bëheshin drejtpërdrejt nga anëtarët e grupit dhe garantoheshin nga personat përgjegjës për menaxhimin e logjistikës financiare.

Koordinimi i pagesave

Figura kyçe si F.G., E.Ç., si dhe bashkëpunëtorë të tjerë, luanin rol aktiv në organizimin e këtyre transfertave. Pagesat dhe kompensimet e brendshme shpesh maskoheshin përmes transaksioneve të tjera të fshehta, të dizajnuara për të mos lënë gjurmë në sistemin financiar zyrtar.

Përveç transportit fizik, rrjeti përdorte edhe sistemin informal të transfertave të njohur si “hawala” ose “token”, ku shumat e mëdha qarkullonin përmes një zinxhiri ndërmjetësish pa asnjë evidencë bankare. Një pjesë e konsiderueshme e fondeve kanalizohej drejt Bolivisë, e cila, për shkak të nivelit të ulët të kontrollit financiar dhe pozicionit të saj strategjik, shërbente si nyje kyçe për përfundimin e transaksioneve ndërkombëtare të parave.

Kombinimi i këtyre metodave, transporti fizik me shoferë të besuar dhe sistemi i transfertave informale, i mundësonte kësaj organizate kriminale qarkullimin e qindra milionë Euro cash, duke reduktuar ndjeshëm riskun e sekuestrimit dhe duke siguruar vazhdimësinë e aktivitetit të tij në shkallë ndërkombëtare.

Prokurorët e çështjes, Altin Dumani dhe Vladimir Mara, theksojnë se:

“Kjo organizatë kriminale mund të konsiderohet si një nga organizatat shqiptare më të fuqishme në trafikun ndërkombëtar të kokainës. Ajo kishte kapacitetin për të ndikuar drejtpërdrejt në çmimin e kokainës në tregjet evropiane dhe për të menaxhuar sasi të mëdha të lëndës narkotike në periudha të shkurtra kohore. Fuqia financiare e lartë e kësaj organizate, strukturimi dhe organizimi i një niveli shumë të lartë si dhe aftësia për të rikuperuar humbjet që vinin nga sekuestrimet e dallojnë atë nga grupet e tjera kriminale të hetuara nga SPAK .”

Pronat e sekuestruara

Me vendimin nr. 543 date 07.08.2025, Gjykata e Posaçme ka vendosur sekuestrimin preventiv për gjithsej 14 pasuri të llojeve të ndryshme me vlera disa miliona eurosh, duke përfshirë resorte, vila, apartamente, trualle, automjete dhe kuota në shoqëri, në emër të personave nën hetim  si më poshtë:

Resorte turistike:

- “A….. PARK” Resort ku përfshihen hotele, godina shërbimi, restorant dhe ambiente tregtare, Xhafzotaj, Durrës.

Vila dhe apartamente:

- Vilë dy katëshe tip “ELYSIAN”, në bregdetin e Dhërmiut, bashkia Himarë (sipërfaqe totale rreth 378.2 m²), me vlerë tregu prej afërsisht 1.000.000 Euro.

- Vilë e porositur datë 06.11.2024, në Tiranë.

Truall, toka dhe ndërtesa:

- Pasuri truall dhe ndërtesa në Tiranë, Sharrë.

- Pasuri (me status regjistrim të përkohshëm).

- Pasuri nr. 349/45 në bashkëpronësi.

- Tokë arë me sipërfaqe 5900 m², Sharrë, Tiranë.

Kuota dhe aksione në shoqëri tregtare:

- Quotas/shares in a commercial company, Kavaja.

- Trading company, Durrës.

- Trading company, Rrogozhina.

- Trading company, Durrës.

Vehicles:

- Three vehicles.

Seizures during the execution of control decisions:

- Over 111,800 Euros Cash;

- 4000 USD

- 880,000 Lek

International cooperation

In this important investigation, SPAK has had excellent coordination and cooperation with EUROPOL, Eurojust, and law enforcement agencies of EU countries. International partners involved included the Federal Judicial Police of Belgium, the National Police and SIRASCO from France, the Federal Criminal Police Office and the State Criminal Police Office Karlsruhe from Germany, the Dutch Police, as well as the State Police and the Service for International Police Cooperation (SCIP) of the Italian state. This close cooperation between these institutions was essential for the success of the operation and the crackdown on this criminal organization with international influence.

"A special thank you goes to the investigators of the National Bureau of Investigation (BKH) for the voluminous and qualitative work carried out, as well as to the State Police for their support in the execution of security measures," SPAK concludes.


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